Safety ladder



Dec. 28, 1965 H. T. LuDLow 3,225,863

SAFETY LADDER Filed June 4. 1964y INVENTOR.

.HUM/ARD .7T L UDLW BMW A55/v T United States Patent C) 3,225,863 SAFETY LADDER Howard T. Ludlow, 48 Ash Terrace, Parlin, NJ. Filed June 4, 1964, Ser. No. 372,624 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-104) This invention relates to an attachment to be aixed to a ladder to prevent unauthorized use of the ladder and more particularly a hinged cover that may be locked in covering relation to the ladder to prevent use of the ladder while the device is iu a locked position.

The prior art discloses a number of especially designed combination ladders and skids for gang planks or bridges. In all of the prior art the type of special device comprises a stairway with a plurality of flat treads that are movable from an open stairway to a closed abutting skid formation. These ladders shown in the prior art are primarily to provide a double usage, that is, either as a ladder or as a skid or as a gang plank or as a bridge.

It is an object of this invention to provide an attachment for a common sized rung ladder in which the attachement is used to cover the ladder and be locked in this position to prevent unauthorized use of the ladder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking device for a step ladder to prevent unauthorized use of said ladder.

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking device for a re escape ladder to prevent unauthorized use of said ladder.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a locking device for an extension ladder to prevent unauthorized use of said ladder.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an attachment for a common sized rung ladder in which the attachment is hingedly affixed to said ladder and in which the attachment covers the ladder and may be locked in this position to prevent unauthorized use of the ladder.

Further objects of this invention may be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a step ladder provided with a locking cover attachement for said ladder,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a further embodiment of this invention,

FIG. 4 is a plan view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an extension ladder with a locking cover attachment,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view taken on line 6 6 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the locking cover taken on line 8 8 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the cover.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. l and 2 there is illustrated a typical step ladder 10 and to illustrate one use of a step ladder of this form in FIGS. l and 2 the ladder 10 is positioned with one side of the ladder on the outside of a swimming pool while the other side rests within the swimming pool. The step ladder 10 may be the common type having one side with rungs 11 or it may be a double sided step ladder having rungs 11 on both sides. Thus with a swimming pool it provides access to enter the pool and means to leave the pool. However in either instance the particular locking device 12 to be utilized with the step ladder is necessarily attached to the portion of the ladder on the outside of the swimming pool. The device 12 comprises a sup- 3,225,863 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 ICC port or base 14 affixed to said ladder 10 at ground level. The box 14 may be weighted to provide stability to the device. Box 14 at ground leveland on the exterior face 20 of ladder 10 is provided with a pair of hinges 15 and 16. A plate 17 is provided at its base with mating hinge portions 18 and 19 to permit mounting plate 17 in abutting relationship with the face 20 of ladder 10. The covering plate 17 may extend upward to full length of the ladder or at least to a height high enough to prevent climbing over said plate to utilize said ladder. Plate 17 is also provided with an aperture 21 and the base or box 14 is provided with a hasp or eye bolt 22 mounted in a position so that the hasp or eye bolt will pass through aperture 21 when plate 17 is in abutting relationship with the face of the ladder. Thus a padlock may be mounted through the hasp or eye bolt 22 to lock plate 17 in the position as illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus the ladder is protected and cannot be used while locked in this relationship. However by releasing the padlock plate 17 may be pivotally moved or dropped to ground level and the ladder is again accessible for use. Although the step ladder has been disclosed as utilized with a swimming pool it may be similarly provided for any other use.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 there is a typical example of a fire escape ladder 30 in its lowered position. The device disclosed in this invention is provided to permit the iire escape ladder to remain lowered and easily accessible for use. However in this position the ladder rnust be protected to prevent unauthorized use. Therefore the device 10 in this embodiment is hingedly axed to the ladder and although it may be mounted in a similar fashion to that disclosed in FGS. l and 2 it may be preferable to mount device 10 by means of said hinges 15A and 16A and plate 17A in this instance would be provided with mating hinges 18A and 19A so lthat the hinges may be pinned together and plate 17A supported as illustrated in FIG. 3. And, similarly plate 17A would be provided with an aperture 21A and re escape ladder 30 would be provided with a hasp or eye bolt 22A mating with aperture 21A so that the hasp or eye bolt will pass through aperture 21A and permit afxing a padlock to thus lock plate 17A in the position as illustrated in FIG. 3. Upon release of the padlock, plate 17A may be opened as illustrated in FIG. 4 to thus permit the ordinary and usual use of the tire escape ladder 30.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 there is illustrated another form of ladder namely an extension ladder 40. With an extension ladder there are provided a pair of brackets 41 and 42 utilized to hold the two sections of a ladder in their abutting relationship when closed which is the normal position for storing the extension ladder. Whether the extension ladder is utilized in two sections or in a single section this invention provides means to cover either one section of the ladder or both sections of the ladder to prevent unauthorized use of said ladder. Referring to one side of the ladder as illustrated in FIG. 7, a plate 17B rectangular in form and of a length to cover the intended ladder is mounted over said ladder but is slid under the brackets 41 and 42. Thus the brackets 41 and 42 will hold plate 17B in juxtaposition to said ladder. Plate 17B may be provided with a pair of apertures 44 at each end. With plate 17B in its covering position, a chain 45 may be passed through apertures 44 and around or through ladler 40 and a padlock aixed to both ends of chain 45 to thus lock plate 17B with relation to ladder 40 and of course if both sections of the extension ladder are to be protected in nested relationship, two plates 17B may be utilized and chain 45 will be passed through both plates 17B to thus lock the nested extension ladder and prevent unauthorized use.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 there is illustrated the type of cover utilized to protect the ladder from unauthorized use. In FIG. 8 the cover is a solid plate 17 whereas in FIG. 9 the cover is an open grill or screen cover 17C.

Although the invention has been described with relation to a common ladder, it is apparent that the device may be similarly mounted to any ladder where the rungs are fixed and thus provide protection against unauthorized use and although the device has been designed particularly for a ladder it may be applied to a stairway, although in this instance it presents a slide which may not be permitted as a safety factor. Although the invention has been disclosed as hingedly affixed in two embodiments and slidably afixed in the third embodiment, the main consideration is to provide the means of afxing the cover in position so that it may be locked and this invention shall include any such conception and although the cover has been described as a plate or open work mesh or screen, the cover may be constructed of any material whether metal or wood or plastic as long as it provides the rigid locking features without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for a swimming pool, a support, a pair of ladders interconnected at their upper ends, at least one of said ladders resting on said support, hinge means secured to the bottom end of one of said ladders and adjacent said support, an elongated cover secured to its bottom end to said hinge means for movement between an open position resting on said support yand a closed position covering said one ladder and means locking said cover to said one ladder in said closed position.

2. In a device according to claim 1 in which the end of said ladder to which the cover is secured is weighted for stability.

3. In a device according to claim 1 in which said cover is a wire mesh formed cover.

4. In a device for a swimming pool, a support, a ladder, said ladder resting on said support, hinge means secured to the bottom end of said ladder and adjacent said support, an elongated cover secured at its bottom end to said hinge means for movement between an open position resting on said support and a closed position covering said ladder and means locking said cover to said one ladder in said closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 296,243 4/1884 Stevenson 189-77 1,783,711 12/1930 Hanny 292-202 2,962,112 11/1960 Ramsberger 182-118 FOREIGN PATENTS 215,419 8/1956 Australia.

838,816 5/1952 Germany.

416,183 9/1934 Great Britain.

806,132 12/1958 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 

4. IN A DEVICE FOR A SWIMMING POOL, A SUPPORT, A LADDER, SAID LADDER RESTING ON SAID SUPPORT, HINGE MEANS SECURED TO THE BOTTOM END OF SAID LATTER AND ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, AN ELONGATED COVER SECURED AT ITS BOTTOM END TO SAID HINGE MEANS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION RESTING ON SAID SUPPORT AND A CLOSED POSITION COVERING SAID LADDER AND MEANS LOCKING SAID COVER TO SAID ONE LADDER IN SAID CLOSED POSITION. 